


Where the Lovelight Gleams

by pressdbtwnpages



Category: Greek
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-19
Updated: 2012-12-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 13:02:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressdbtwnpages/pseuds/pressdbtwnpages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>This is what Casey thought adulthood would look like. Old friends and new sitting around a candle-lit dining table eating gourmet food and toasting the past and laughing together.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where the Lovelight Gleams

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samalander](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samalander/gifts).



> Title from "I'll Be Home for Christmas."
> 
> Thanks to blueandbrady for the last-minute beta and reassurance.

"Hurry!" Casey calls from the kitchen. "They'll be here any minute!"

She can hear shuffling out in the dining room, and a clanking that she hopes isn't her good china.

"What?" Ashleigh asks, lounging against the counter. "Don't we count?"

"No, you're family." Casey looks pointedly at the diamond ring on her friend's finger. It's only been there for a week, but she and Ashleigh have been sisters for eight years. 

Ashleigh grins and ducks her head.

"And we have company." Casey raises her voice. " _Evan and Rebecca and their dates will be here in half an hour_!" 

"Got it, Case!" Cappie calls back. "Everything's under control."

Something slams to the ground.

"Everything's under control!" Rusty echoes.

Casey has no idea why she thought hosting a New Year's Eve dinner party nearly four months pregnant was a good idea.

Except, of course, that Rebecca is in D.C. for the holidays and for the first time, Evan's nearby too.

Casey can't wait to meet their significant others.

She hopes everything goes okay. 

She still doesn't entirely trust Evan and Cappie in the same room together, even though it was Cap's idea to invite him. Even though they've been nothing but cordial to each other since Cappie graduated and Casey picked him once and for all.

And Rebecca. Rebecca's still difficult. But she's a sister, too. More than that, a friend. She's Casey's confidante sometimes, now, when the Beltway bullshit gets to be too much and Casey needs to rant to someone who understands what she's swearing about.

The oven timer goes off, interrupting Casey's reverie.

She half expects smoke to pour out when she opens the door, but the roast looks fine. It's maybe a little more well-done than she'd intended, but it looks edible.

The doorbell rings while Casey's tossing the salad.

"Cappie!" She calls, and they both run for the door, colliding in a way that means they're holding onto each other when they open the door.

It's just Rebecca. Just Rebecca who Casey is delighted to see and looks great, if dateless.

"I know, I know," Rebecca says, stepping inside. "Sorry if I messed up your seating plan, Case. But I decided I didn't want to scramble to find a date who would be all new and awkward and wouldn’t understand anything."

She unwinds her scarf and slips off her coat. Casey is so unbelievably proud of her.

"It's fine," she tells Rebecca and means it. "Rusty, clear one of the plates!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Becks!" Ashleigh runs out of the kitchen and grabs Rebecca in a tight hug. "It's so good to see you! How are you!"

"Let go of me, you octopus. I want to see your ring."

Ashleigh detangles herself and holds out her left hand.

"It's beautiful. TOTALLY GOOD JOB, RUSTY!" Rebecca calls out.

"Thanks," Rusty says, stepping out of the dining room. He wraps an arm around Ashleigh's waist. "Nice to see you."

"You, too."

Casey leans back in Cappie's arms, content to enjoy her friends' reunion. And then, exactly on time, the doorbell rings again.

Everyone freezes for a second, like they're not sure how to react.

Then Cappie opens the door and Rebecca turns around smiling, and then there’s Evan and a tiny blond woman standing on the other side.

It's probably vain to wonder if Evan's girlfriend looks like Casey, but Casey can't help it. She'll whisper it to Cappie late tonight when she's trying to fall asleep and he'll make fun of her for it.

For now, she steps out of Cappie's arms and says, "Welcome."

"Hey, Case." 

Evan steps in and immediately checks out Casey's stomach, even though it's still too soon to really tell.

"Chambers," Cappie leans over to hug him. "Make the introductions, man."

"Everyone, this is Yelena. Yelena, this is Rebecca, Ashleigh, Rusty, Casey, and Cappie."

"Pleased to meet you all," Yelena says with a faint southern accent.

"Just wait," Rusty mutters. Ashleigh elbows him.

"The appetizers," Casey hisses at Cappie and pushes him towards the kitchen where her homemade stuffed mushrooms are getting cold.

*

Over dinner they learn that Yelena is an artist Evan met when he moved to New York. She's originally from Virginia, which is why she and Evan were down here for the holidays. She's nothing like Evan, or Casey, for that matter. If anything, Yelena reminds Casey of Cappie, kind and free-spirited and a little flaky. But Evan needed some loosening up anyway.

Ashleigh and Rusty are still at Cyprus Rhodes. Rusty's finishing grad school and thinking about possibly becoming a professor someday.

Rebecca's in PR, which makes Evan laugh and say "Of course you are!" Rebecca gives him the finger, but then pours more wine into his glass.

Casey's working for an assemblywoman. Cappie helps run a homeless shelter for teenagers. 

They're all finding their way in the world. 

*

They've wound down the memories of Greek Weeks gone by and dessert is down to crumbs and cream when Casey looks down at her watch.

"Okay, everyone, it's almost time!"

They count down together. "Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Happy New Year!"

Casey kisses Cappie quickly and then looks around at her guests. Rebecca is downing her champagne like a shot. Ashleigh and Rusty are engaged in an epic kiss. So are Evan and Yelena.

In her first year at Cyprus Rhodes, if pressed, Casey might have admitted that this is what she thought adulthood would look like. Old friends and new sitting around a candle-lit dining table eating gourmet food and toasting the past and laughing together.

In her third year, Casey had been sure she couldn't have this. Not with these people. Not with this level of calm and pleasant and no one throwing punches.  
There are a lot of times Casey resents adulthood. When she's paying endless bills or nauseous because of this baby or stuck in traffic or not having ice cream for dinner because she'll feel gross in the morning if she does. But right now, this moment - this fleeting, transient moment - is perfect.


End file.
